Wednesday This ‘N That…

In my last post I promised a picture of the jacket I finished at the retreat.  It is actually a “hybrid” using two of SuznQuilts‘ jacket designs, with a twist of my own thrown in.  I wanted to make this jacket just for me.  Valentine’s Day is coming (not that I celebrate it that much), but I thought this jacket was a cute design, so that is why I made it.

New potato soup recipe I made last night…this one has bacon in it. Yummm…I am so stuck on potato soups right now.

Today I am preparing to pack my van so that I can leave early in the morning.  Where am I going?  To another quilting retreat, that’s where! It doesn’t get any better than that.  This one will be held in a quilt shop that has living quarters on the 3rd floor.  Hopefully I will have new finished projects to show when I get back.

On another note, I want to congratulate the new president on a fine inaugural event and I wish him the best of success in governing this great land for the next four years.  May God richly bless him and his family as he embarks on the work ahead.

The New Year

It is the last day of 2008.  My blog is set on some weird time zone, but I think it will show that I am still writing this in 2008.

(Note:  Whoops, guess not…after I published it I see it shows Jan. 1. 2009.  Oh, well.)

It is hard to be pensive and thoughtful about the past year as I am cleaning and fixing food, in preparation for a few guests tonight.  Perhaps I will be able to tomorrow.  Of course, my husband will also be home with me, so, maybe not. I am making that yummy potato soup recipe with homemade croutons that I have talked about before and the shrimp cocktail is on ice.

A lot of people on the quiltart list are already talking about goals for 2009.  Hmmm…all I know is that my first three months of the year are likely to be quite busy and I am gearing up mentally.  I will be attending two quilt retreats (count ‘em…two!) in January.  My husband purchased one of them as a Christmas gift to me. What a sweetie.  I have a project class scheduled to teach at the quilt shop in Evansville.  In February I have a machine quilting class scheduled and the rest of the month will be spent preparing to vend at the Indiana Heritage Quilt Show in Bloomington, IN.  I received notification that they had a space available.  Since I have wanted to vend there for a few years, I jumped at the chance.  So I will be dyeing fabric as well as making decisions about my inventory of other artsy things to take.  The Indiana Heritage show is a fairly large show lasting 3 days.  I may also have the opportunity to teach a workshop for a Greenwood quilt guild while I am up there.  Currently I am still slugging around trying to complete the commission proposal.  It is not finished yet.  I am making small advances.

Anyway, here’s wishing every reader a VERY BLESSED NEW YEAR!

New piece I’ve been working on for a “go green” exhibit…I’m sure it’s now done..except for finishing the edges…made from a section of an old quilt…

Christmas Day

My husband and I have had a nice quiet day this Christmas day.  We attended a short Christmas Eve service last night and then came home.  This morning we slept in, then I fixed us a breakfast of orange juice, homemade biscuits and gravy, and bacon.  Sorry, no pictures of that.

In the past, our Christmas season has consisted of running to and fro between the homes of his family and my family and hoping for good weather.  I miss being with the kids this year, but we did talk to them on the phone.  They were pretty much on the run today too it sounded like.  But this year we stayed home, and it has been pretty luxurious, I must say.  We have been quite lazy, watching a movie and eating Christmas shrimp and nachos with chili-cheese sauce along with a nice glass of rose wine.  The movie was a bit bizarre, Will Smith in I Am Legend.  But we have another one lined up, the new Narnia movie.  I think I am enjoying this staying home idea.